THE SPRING ISSUE

Conscious Commuter

Flying from meetings dispersed throughout the city with a quick lunch break in between, happy hour after, and ending with an evening engagement can leave one a bit shambolic. Tackling a concept that has been deemed a point of aggravation, Conscious Commuter presents a line of electric-assist commuter bicycles to re-acquaint people with the joy of the daily commute, and offer bustling lifestyles modish but functional journeying options.

A polished, minimalist design transforms trudging through the concrete jungle into gliding through a glimmering metropolis as one carefree, yet exceptionally fashionable environmental activist; slipping past bystanders, who clearly are envious of your awfully nifty piece of transport. Aside from its sleek aesthetic, a particularly covetable feature of the e-bike is its portability. The folding models will not only carry riders from one end of the city to the other, but also fold down to be small enough to check as airline luggage.

The idea for the compact, electric-assist folding bicycle came from founder Bob Vander Woude’s exposure to China’s evolution of effortless transportation from bicycles to gas-powered vehicles. When scooters were silenced and e-bikes emerged, the start-up extraordinaire knew there was a movement in place that he needed to harness.

It was Gabriel Wartofsky’s design, however, that brought the dream to reality with a complex level of mindfulness in product development. The e-bikes include a shaft-drive, which means no greasy chain or mess. There’s battery pack stowed away in the frame that lasts 20-25 miles, provides a sweat-free ride, and can be easily plugged into the wall to recharge in two hours so you can hop from appointment to conference fuss-free and composed. Using a sturdy steel frame, the Portland-based company manufactures the entire line in the U.S., and as they expand internationally, they plan for production to take place in each country, decreasing impact on the environment and your wallet.

Born out of a pioneering spirit, Conscious Commuter is the melding of Wartofsky’s inspiration from his mother’s philosophy of magic in movement as a dancer and bicyclist, and Vander Woude’s desire to develop a product that made a difference. The company’s objective is to empower commuters and improve the way they get around with elegant and responsible mobility solutions.